General Reports and Other Publications
Newswire - IPPR: As world leaders met for the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York (20–22 September) a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) highlights that, as a result of the financial crisis, around 120m more people may now be living on less than US$2 a day and 89m more on less than US$1.25 a day. The report shows that because of the crisis output, exports, migrant remittances, capital inflows and aid have all been lower than expected over the last 3 years.
African countries will see only US$11bn of the US$25bn in increased aid promised for 2010 at the Gleneagles G8 & Millennium +5 meetings in 2005. Taxes on financial transactions – which have become known as ‘Robin Hood’ taxes – could raise hundreds of billions a year from the financial sector and put us back on course for achieving the MDGs.
ScotGov: Hospitals are using the wrong kind of stocking to prevent blood clots in patients, a study suggests. Researchers found that mid-calf stockings (which are similar to flight socks) do little to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in stroke patients. Stroke patients fitted with below-the-knee, stockings were 30% more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis than patients fitted with thigh-length stockings. This could be because the most serious type of blood clots tend to be in the thigh, researchers suggest.
Press release ~
Newswire - Civitas: The proposals in '21st Century Welfare' are the product of two inconsistent philosophical perspectives: one that stresses 'welfare rights' and another that focuses on 'mutual obligation'. As a result, the proposals are unlikely to achieve the significant reduction in welfare dependency that is hoped for. Moreover, there is a strong risk of repeating the mistakes of American welfare reforms before the mid-1990s.
This press release is based on the response by Dr David Green, Director of Civitas to the DWP consultation document; 21st Century Welfare
ACMD: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has published ‘Consideration of the anabolic steroids’, a report considering the misuse & harms of the substances. The report was written following the ACMD’s increasing concern at the numbers of anabolic steroid users. Among other findings, the report considers the potential harms to users due to the patterns of use and the presence of substandard & counterfeit steroids in the marketplace.
CRC: In the period leading up to their abolition, the Commission for Rural Communities will ‘continue to deliver for the benefit of rural communities’. They have produced a revised work programme for this final period. If any organisation would be interested in talking to them further about this work, please get in touch.
Newswire – WF: A new report by The Work Foundation argues that, contrary to popular belief, the UK actually needs more graduates and the only viable option will be to increase fees. The challenge will be for Vince Cable and his Coalition partners to implement this in a way which maximises access. But these graduates also need to have better quality skills in the right areas to support the sectors that will drive recovery & economic growth over the next decade.
Press release ~ Shaping up for innovation: Are we delivering the right skills for the 2020 knowledge economy? ~ WF: Knowledge Economy programme
Newswire – CWDC: New research into social care professions could have a major impact on the way we develop a professional framework for the sector. The study, carried out for us by the University of Salford and Action for Children, looked at updating current workforce data and identifying the key roles & the roles of graduates within the care workforce.
Newswire – PX: Housing associations should be set free to raise money through methods like equity investment, claims a new report from Policy Exchange. Housing People; Financing Housing claims that so-called ‘equitisation’ could ‘raise £30bn and build an extra 100,000 new homes a year’
The report’s author, Natalie Elphicke, says that using the housing association sector’s profits to raise money from organisations like pension funds would save taxpayers £5bn in government grants, as well as helping solve Britain’s chronic housing shortages.
Directgov: The Office for National Statistics has published a new report on e-Society, outlining how internet use has changed and how the internet is changing life in the UK. The report covers areas such as the 'digital divide' between households, social networking, education & work and e-Government.
Press release ~ e-Society: the full report (ONS) ~ How to get internet access (home and community section) ~ Helping someone get started online (home and community section) ~ Keeping children safe online (parents section) ~ Staying safe online (young people section) ~ Free computers for low-income families - update ~ Flexible working (employment section)
Newswire – CH:
The 'shale gas revolution' - responsible for a 20-fold increase in unconventional gas production in the US over the last decade - is creating huge investor uncertainties for international gas markets and renewables and could result in serious gas shortages in 10 years time, says a new report; The 'Shale Gas Revolution': Hype and Reality
The report casts serious doubt over industry confidence in the 'revolution', questioning whether it can spread beyond the US, or indeed be maintained within it, as environmental concerns, high depletion rates and the fear that US circumstances may be impossible to replicate elsewhere, come to the fore.
Defra: An independent review of England’s wildlife sites & the connections between them was published last week. The report makes many recommendations and the Government response will be included in the Natural Environment White Paper to be published in 2011. Making Space for Nature will also help those that wish to contribute to the White Paper discussion document by the end of October 2010 to submit their ideas on what they want to see included.
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